The Shepherd’s Trial

THE SHEPHERD’S TRIAL

The spear that pierced Christ. The soldier who wielded it. The journey that would change everything.

Four years after the crucifixion, former Roman centurion Gaius Marcellus lives in self-imposed exile as a shepherd in the hills of Judea. Haunted by his role in Christ’s death—the soldier who thrust the spear into His side—Gaius believes himself beyond redemption.

When a small group of early Christians seeks his protection for a dangerous journey, Gaius reluctantly agrees to help. They carry news of a letter written by the Apostle John that speaks of forgiveness even for those directly responsible for the crucifixion. As they travel toward Caesarea where the letter is hidden, Gaius confronts his past while Roman authorities hunt them for both the letter and the deserter in their midst.

For Leah, a young woman whose brother died on Golgotha the same day as Jesus, trusting a former Roman soldier defies everything she thought possible. Yet as their journey unfolds, she glimpses a man transforming before her eyes.

As dangers mount and betrayal threatens, Gaius must decide whether to embrace the message meant specifically for him—that no one, not even the man who pierced Christ’s side, is beyond the reach of grace.

A powerful story of redemption, forgiveness, and the early church’s courageous faith, The Shepherd’s Trial reimagines one of history’s most compelling “what ifs” through the eyes of the Roman soldier forever changed by a single thrust of his spear.